Immigrant bill called ‘the ugly face of the Republican Party’

House Democrats – emotional and angry – held a quick news conference early Tuesday morning after their Republican colleagues cut off debate and voted on anti-sanctuary cities legislation that Democrats contend would discriminate against Hispanics.

Rep. Rene Oliveira, D-Brownsville

“This has been a terrible night for our community,” House Democratic leader Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, said.

Rep. Rene Oliveira, D-Brownsville, the longest serving member of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, called House Bill 12, “the most anti-civil rights legislation I have ever seen in the Texas House – having been here 27 years.”

The bill bans local governments from adopting “sanctuary city” policies prohibiting law enforcement officials from inquiring about the immigration status of detained individuals.

“This is a day of real shame for Texas,” Oliveira said. “I am shocked at the Republican leadership for taking such a position that’s adverse to the great state of Texas,” said Oliveira, who was particularly upset that school districts were not exempted from the bill.

It’s a shameful day for Texas when public school children can be interrogated about their immigration status in violation of federal law and a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, he said.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio

The sanctuary cities bill has been a priority of the Texas Republican Party and an emergency issue for Gov. Rick Perry. It was important for Republican lawmakers to be anti-immigrant and to “bash immigrants,” Oliveira said, because they can’t do enough “to keep that (GOP) group happy.”

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, added: “This is the ugly face of the Texas Republican Party. But this accurately represents the beliefs of the Texas Republican Party.”

While Democrats were excoriating their GOP colleagues, Rep. Larry Gonzales, R-Round Rock, one of five House Hispanic Republicans, sent out this statement to the media:

“The passage today of House Bill 12 provides for the implementation of a consistent standard across the state in setting illegal immigration policies. This bill will be the core of a renewed spirit of cooperation and trust between law enforcement and the citizens of Texas.”

Opponents kept reminding bill supporters that no law enforcement agency supported the measure.

Democrats hold only 49 of the 150 House seats – down from 74 seats two years ago. Many of the people they count on didn’t bother to show up in the last election.

That’s going to change, they say.

“This issue is No. 1 in my area,” Rep. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas, said. “Everybody is talking about it. “There might have been a vote on sanctuary cities, but the response by the Hispanic community is to vote in the (2012) election.”